Person In Milwaukee Becomes Neighborhood Icon After They Handed Out Potatoes To Trick-Or-Treaters

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For most kids, trick-or-treating is usually about bringing home as much candy as possible. But like any adventure that you embark upon, you never know exactly where the journey will take you. You may start down one path then overhear that a house in the next neighborhood over is passing out full-size candy bars. No matter how heavy your bag of loot is becoming, if something grabs your attention, you will haul your little ghost or zombie body over there as fast as you possibly can. (Maybe zombies can move fast when there’s a promise of candy! Or perhaps something even more exciting…)

One homeowner in Milwaukee decided to do an experiment this Halloween by adding a potato to their Halloween treats “just to see what would happen”. Much to their surprise, the potatoes became an instant hit, so they documented the saga of the evening on Facebook.

Below, you’ll find the full story that Sarah Ross shared online, as well as some of the responses amused readers have left. We would love to hear your thoughts on the potato treats in the comments as well. Have you ever given out something unconventional on Halloween? Then if you’d like to read another Bored Panda article about how passing out something other than candy on Halloween does not always go this smoothly, check out this story next.

Milwaukee resident Sarah Ross decided to place a potato with their Halloween treats this year as an experiment

Image credits: Yaroslav Shuraev (not the actual photo)

Much to their surprise, the potatoes became an instant hit so Sarah detailed the entire saga on Facebook

Image credits: Polina Tankilevitch (not the actual photo)

Image credits: Dustin Wengert

It is amazing what kids and teenagers will get excited by. On the average day, if you offered a child their choice between a piece of candy and a potato, I would guess that most of them would pick the piece of candy. But on Halloween? There is candy everywhere, more than they could ever need. So the potato becomes the much more exciting option, out of novelty. Sarah not only provided these trick-or-treaters with a fun alternative to candy, they also gave these kids a great story to tell when they returned home or to share at recess the following day.

While giving out potatoes on Halloween may have started as a joke or an experiment for Sarah, it is certainly valid to pass out treats that are allergy-friendly. With about 8% of kids in the United States having at least one food allergy, many pieces of Halloween candy can’t be enjoyed in the first place. Almost all popular brands of chocolate contain milk and/or soy, and plenty of other candies also contain peanuts, tree nuts, coconut or gluten. While the potato might not have been intended to be the most inclusive Halloween treat, it may have been a relief for many kids with allergies, or parents of little ones with allergies, to find.

When it comes to other allergy-friendly or non-edible treats that can be passed out on Halloween, there are no shortage of options. Small toys like Play-Doh, glow bracelets, slime, Halloween LED rings, scrunchies, bookmarks and stickers are also popular among young kids. Sarah mentioned that they passed out lots of pencils as well. I remember coming home thrilled to get new colorful pencils, erasers and stamps on various Halloweens (along with all of my sweet treats) when I was a kid too. Never underestimate the power of bubbles, yo-yos, temporary tattoos, and apparently, even potatoes.

Something tells me this won’t be the last year Sarah hands out potatoes for Halloween. But next year they might need to stock up even more. Once the legend of the potato spreads, I think Sarah’s household could easily pass out 100 spuds. We would love to hear your thoughts on this wholesome situation in the comments. Have you ever passed out or received anything more interesting than candy on Halloween? And then if you want to read another Bored Panda article about giving away something other than candy as a Halloween treat, look no further than right here.